After recovery from her wounds days passed.As Rumina tries to catch Ravihiro's attention, he remains unfazed, his heart resolute and unyielding. No matter what gestures she tries—subtle smiles, lingering glances, or offering him hand-prepared meals—Ravihiro barely blinks. In his mind, a quiet internal dialogue unfolds:
"I don't get it… What do they want from me? Marriage? Companionship? I've lived alone for so long, out here in the forest, just painting, training, and finding peace in the silence. I don't know what she's looking for, and I'm not sure I even want to know."
Despite Rumina's efforts, Ravihiro's gaze keeps drifting to the landscape, to the details of his drawings, or to the forest paths. It's clear to him—he doesn't feel drawn to anyone. For him, this quiet solitude is a precious escape, not something he intends to exchange for the complexities he doesn't understand or desire.
Rumina, not one to back down easily, decides to turn things up a notch. One day, she leaves small, mysterious gifts around Ravihiro's home in the Beast Forest—a delicate handkerchief here, an elegantly wrapped snack there, each item personalized with little notes in careful handwriting.
"To my stoic mountain," one note says. "For the one who never smiles."
Ravihiro stares at it, furrowing his brow. "A mountain? Is she saying I'm… stubborn?"
The next day, Rumina arranges for Kaira to convince Ravihiro to take her along on one of his hunting trips. As they walk through the dense forest, Rumina tries to start casual conversation, asking things like, "What's your favorite color?" or "What kind of food do you like?" Ravihiro responds with curt answers, mostly nodding or grunting.
At one point, Rumina trips over a root on purpose, hoping Ravihiro might at least offer a hand. He simply raises an eyebrow, waiting for her to get up on her own. But Rumina doesn't give up.
Later, she decides to sit by a fire he set up, exaggeratedly warming her hands and pretending to shiver. "It's so cold, don't you think? Wouldn't it be nice to… sit a little closer?"
Ravihiro shrugs, adjusting his cloak. "I like the cold. Keeps the senses sharp."
Finally, exasperated, Rumina whispers to Kaira, who's watching with amusement from the shadows. "Does he have a heart at all?"
Kaira stifles a laugh and replies, "He's just… selective with who he shows it to. You'll have to try harder than that."
Rumina glares at Ravihiro as he starts sketching something, completely absorbed. "Fine. I'll just try harder tomorrow, Ravihiro."
Ravihiro, without looking up, mutters to himself, "Why is she so persistent?" but a small, bemused smile ghosts across his face. Rumina doesn't see it, but Kaira does, and she winks knowingly at Rumina, as if to say, "You're getting somewhere."
They both don't know that what going to happen to happen to both of them in the future